Charles a



(No Model.)

0. A. HARVEY. HORSE BLANKET FASTENER.

No. 481,326. Patented Aug. 23, 1892.

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CHARLES A. HARVEY, OF NEI/V YORK, N. Y.

HORSE-BLANKET FASTENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 481,326, dated August 23, 1892.

Application filed May 6, 1892. Serial No. 482,032. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, CHARLES A. HARVEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Horse-Blanket Fasteners; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement in fastening devices for horse-blankets; and it consists in the novel features hereinafter fully described.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one form in which I have contemplated embodying my invention,and said invention is fully disclosed in the following description and claims.

Referring to the said drawings, Figure 1 represents the meeting edges of a horseblanket provided with my improved fastening device. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively transverse and longitudinal sections through one of the securing devices. Fig. at is aplan view of the parts of the same detached. Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the securing-tongue. Fig. 6 is a sectional view of one end of said tongue, showing the manner of securing the stop thereto. Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the parts of the securing device located at the top of the edges to be united. Fig. 8 is a sectional view of one part of the same, and Fig. 9 is a detail view of the stop-plate for the end of the tongue.

The object of my invention is to provide a fastening for the edges of a horse-blanket where they meet in front of the horse, and to this end I provide the said edges with two, three, or more sets of securing devices, all adapted to be engaged by a longitudinallymovable securing-tongue.

In the said drawings, A A represent the meeting edges of the horse-blanket, a indicating the upper portion of the same and a the lower portion. At intervals along said edges I locate a set of securing devices, consisting each of two parts, three sets being shown; but a greater number may be employed, if found necessary or convenient. Each of these de vices consists, preferably, of a plate B, se-

cured to one edge of the blanket, and aplateengaging arm 0, secured to the other edge. I prefer to form the parts from sheet metal, which can be readily and cheaply stamped into the desired shape, and to provide the parts with clinching -points, as shown, by means of which they may be conveniently attached to the blanket in a well-known manner.

The plate B is preferably provided with a depression or recess 2), which receives the arm 0, so that when the two parts are in engagement their outer surfaces are flush with each other. The arm 0 is provided on its outer end with a hook c, and the plate B is provided,

ordinarily, with two of such hooks b b, the

hook c alternating with the hooks b b. When the arms 0 of the different sets of securing devices are placed in engagement with their respective plates B, the fastening is completed by a tongue D, which is drawn in and made to engage the opposing hooks c and b b. This tongue I may form of leather or other suitable material, such as fabric impregnated with hardened rubber, and said tongue is flexible in a direction transverselyof the plane of the hooks, but is incapable of yielding laterally under the tension of the hooks.

In order to render the entering portion of the tongue D nearly rigid to enable it to properly enter the hooks, I provide the same with a stiffening-wire or other metallic strip d, wire being preferable, and said wire or strip is preferably coiled up or twisted into shape to form a knob or handle 61, by means of which the tongue may be readily moved up or down.

The opposite or upper end of the tongue D is provided with a stop for preventing the tongue from being drawn down too far. In this instance I have shown said tongue provided with a stop plate 61 suitably secured to the tongue by clinching-points and provided with an outwardly-extendin g flange d which is adapted to engage a cross-plate or loop b on the plate B, adjacent to the top of the edges A A.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 7, the uppermost plate B is provided with but one hook I) and with a loop or cross-plate 12 against which the stop or flange (I will strike when the tongue has been drawn down as far as it should be. I may, however, provide the upper plate B with two hooks b b and also with the loop or cross-plate b if desired, but it is believed that this will not be necessary. When the tongue is drawn out of engagement with the sets of securing-hooks, the handle or knob (1 will strike against the lower side of the cross-plate b and will prevent the tongue from becoming detached from the blanket. The cross-plate b is in reality one of the hooks Z) extended across the plate to the other side, and I prefer to provide the lower edge of the said cross-plate with a notch or recess into which the stem of the knob or handle (1' may pass in order that the tongue may be drawn back far enough to allow the parts B and O to be readily engaged and disengaged.

When it is desired to secure the edges AA together, they are brought into close proximity to each other and the upper plate B and arm 0 are made to engage each other, when the tongue D will be drawn downward and secure the parts together. The next set of securing devices are then made to engage and the tongue is drawn down into engagement with them, and so on until the tongue has been drawn in as far as possible, when it will be stopped by the flange or stop (i striking the upper face of the cross-plate or loop 11 When it is desired to release the edges A A, the tongue D may be instantly slipped out of engagement with all of the securing-hooks by a single upward movement.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A fastening device for the meeting edges of horse-blankets, consisting of two or more series of securing devices located at intervals 'along the edges, each series comprising two hooks secured to one edge and a single hook secured to the opposite edge intermediate the hooks of the first-named edge and adapted to pass between and beyond said first-named hooks to leave a space between them, and a movable tongue for passing through the said space and engaging all the hooks of the said securing devices, said tongue being capable of yielding in adirection transversely of said hooks but incapable of yielding laterally in the plane of said hooks, substantially as described.

2. A fastening device for the meeting edges ble of yielding laterally in the plane of said hooks, substantially as described.

3. In a fastening device for the meeting edges of horse-blankets, the combination, with the securing-tongue provided with a stop, of a series of securing devices located at intervals along said edges, consisting each of the recessed plate provided with a pair of tongueengaging hooks and an arm provided with a hook adapted to engage the recess of said plate, one of the books of the plate adjacent to one end of said edges being continued to the opposite side of said plate to form a crossplate adapted to be engaged by the stop on said tongue, substantially as described.

4.. In a fastening device for horse-blankets, the combination, with hooks secured to opposing edges of said blanket, of the securingtongue for engaging said hooks, provided with a stiffening-strip attached to the upper end of the said tongue, a part of said strip forming a hand-piece for moving said tongue, substantially as described.

5. In a fastening device for the. meeting edges of a horse-blanket, the combination, with the tongue provided at one end with a stilfening-strip, a portion of said strip forming a hand-piece, and a stop-plate provided with aprojecting stop secured to the other end of a series of plates located at intervals along said edges and provided with tongue-engaging hooks, and a series of arms provided with hooks adapted to engage said plates, one of said plates being provided with a cross-plate adapted to be engaged by said stop and having a notch or recess adapted to be engaged by said hand-piece, substantially as described. In testimony whereof I alfix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES A. HARVEY. Witnesses:

THOS. W. FoLsoM, N. P. T. FINCH. 

